NCAA Basketball: Conference purgatory – worst programs in each league
Washington State Cougars, Pac-12 (Eight straight bottom-three finishes)
Finally, a Power-5 program makes its way on the list. With that being said, Washington State’s inclusion comes with slight controversy. The Cougars have tied for third-last in the PAC-12 twice since their eight-year basement streak began. Those eight seasons were scattered through coaches Ken Bone, Ernie Kent, and now Kyle Smith who just completed his first year at the helm.
Unlike many of the other programs throughout this list, there may be a glimmer of hope in Pullman. Washington State started the conference season out 3-3 and beat both of the top two seeds in the conference during that stretch. Their season fell off the rails with three blowout losses down the stretch, but it was their most promising season in some time.
Most importantly, their two stars, CJ Elleby and Isaac Bonton both return next season for Coach Smith and the Cougars. Add in up-and-coming freshman Noah Williams, and the potential for moderate success next season becomes more likely. Playing and recruiting against national powers and historic icons in the PAC-12 certainly plays against Washington State, but their newest attempt at rebuilding the program may turn into a success.
The Citadel Bulldogs, Southern Conference (Nine straight bottom-three finishes)
2009-2010 was Coach Ed Conroy’s last season at The Citadel. Since that season, the Bulldogs have never finished above third-worst in the Southern Conference. After five seasons of Chuck Driesell didn’t pan out, the school handed over the keys to current coach, Duggar Baucom. With the hiring of Baucom came a unique style of basketball. One could argue that for a team historically devoid of winning, getting creative is the best way to change course. For The Citadel, that has not been the case.
In Baucom’s five years at the helm, the Bulldogs have been in the Top 5 in scoring three times, yet in the bottom-10 of scoring defense every single year. However, this past season marked the worst yet in the “run-and-gun” era, placing the program a mere 78th in scoring to compliment an 0-18 mark in Southern Conference play. Remarkably, 14 of their 18 losses were by double digits, including 13 of their last 14.
At the end of the day, The Citadel has attempted to use a unique playstyle to remedy years of losing, something no other team on this list has really attempted. Baucom was retained as the head coach after this season, and multiple underclassmen showed promise this season. Perhaps scoring will turn into winning in Charleston, but that has yet to be proven as of now.
DePaul Blue Demons, Big East (Twelve straight bottom-three finishes)
This season seemed to be the resurrection of the DePaul basketball program. Long known as the laughing-stock of the Big East, the Blue Demons started the season off 9-0 and entered Big East play at 12-1. Led by soon-to-be NBA draft pick Paul Reed, DePaul was fun to watch, and the entire nation finally felt relief for the struggling program. That was until the team lost 12 of their first 13 conference games, cementing a 12th consecutive bottom-three finish in the league.
It is quite remarkable in fact, that a school in the heart of the basketball mecca of Chicago, playing in a major conference has been so bad for so long, yet that is very much the case. The Blue Demons have had a few successes on the recruiting trail, but none have turned into that star the DePaul so desperately needs to rise to relevancy. The hope is that former 4-star Romeo Weems steps up to the plate in his sophomore season, but with no major commitments for next season, he may not have much help.
Despite the tough second half of the season, there are some positives to build on for Coach Dave Leitao and the Blue Demons. They developed Reed into an intriguing NBA prospect, brought home a Chicago kid who spurned them multiple times in Charlie Moore, and saw an increased amount of local talent on the roster.
Next. Early Big East power rankings for 2020-21. dark
Whether DePaul can build on that momentum remains to be seen, however, and until they do, they will remain as the program with the longest bottom-three conference finish streak in the nation.